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ABC was the firstAmericantelevision network to broadcast thePan American Games in1963, when they devoted one episode of theirWide World of Sports[1] anthology program to the games. They doubled their coverage to two episodes of the show in1967.CBS then bought the rights to the1975[2] and1979 Games[3][4] at the same time. Their coverage in 1975 was mainly shown onCBS Sports Spectacular, their equivalent toWide World of Sports. CBS repeated the process of airing most of its coverage onCBS Sports Spectacular in 1979.
For the1983 games, CBS[5] aired all of its coverage on weekend afternoons. These games also marked the first of three consecutive hosting assignments ofBrent Musburger. CBS endured numerous obstacles[6] in the run up to the games, including missing video tape machines and mobile units, inexperienced technicians from several countries, a last minute disagreement with the host broadcaster that left CBS scrambling to add 5 more cameras to the 3 it planned to use at the opening ceremony, and more. In addition, when a large doping scandal[7] broke out at the games, including the sudden departure of 12 American athletes to avoid drug testing, Musburger made special reports on the scandal during theCBS Morning News andCBS Evening News,[8] as well as during the regularly scheduled coverage.
CBS[9][10][11] broadcast its fourth consecutive Pan American Games in1987[12][13] and provided the host feed as well. This would be the last time that CBS would broadcast the games. Brent Musburger[14] as previously alluded to, returned as host.
In1991, ABC[15][16] sought the rights[17] to the Pan Am Games inHavana.[18] The negotiations became bogged down in theU.S. embargo against Cuba,[19] which forbade direct payments toCuba. After a protracted negotiation with theU.S. Justice Department,[20] ABC eventually signed a deal[21] to broadcast the games. The fee was paid[22] indirectly to avoid the embargo. ABC partnered[23] withTed Turner'sTNT[24][25][26][27] cable channel for the Havana games. TNT aired theprime time coverage withErnie Johnson Jr. as host, while Brent Musburger[28] (who had been fired by CBS in March 1990) anchored ABC's weekend afternoon coverage. This would be the last time the games were broadcast by a major broadcast network in the United States. All coverage since has aired oncable orSpanish-language networks.
No major U.S. networks covered the1999 Pan Am Games fromWinnipeg, Canada, except for the Spanish-language networkUnivisión, while newspapers only sent second-string reporters instead and the stories never made front page news.[29] Winnipeg mayorGlen Murray became nationally well known as a result of the Games and thanks to extensive coverage by theCBC, anchored by CBC Sports'Brian Williams.
In the United States,ESPN andESPN Deportes held thebroadcasting rights for the Pan American Games through2019.
TheCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) served as the host and domestic broadcaster of the2015 Pan American Games fromToronto; locally, coverage was broadcast in the English andFrench languages byCBC Television andIci Radio-Canada Télé, and CBC's website carried 650 hours of online coverage.[30][31] Pay television rights were sub-licensed toSportsnet, which aired thefootball (soccer) tournaments, and a semi-final of the Men's basketball tournament that involved Canada.[32]Spanish language rights were sub-licensed toTelelatino andUnivision Canada; the broadcaster collaborated with US Spanish-language rights-holderESPN Deportes on its own coverage.[33][34][35] CBC stated that it was "very happy" with the ratings performance of the Games; primetime coverage averaged around 900,000 to 1 million viewers per night, and the opening ceremonies were seen by 1.93 million viewers across CBC andCBC News Network, with the largest audience being in the Toronto region.[32][36]
In the United States,ESPN held broadcast rights, with 66 hours of English-language coverage across ESPN andESPN2, 44 hours onLonghorn Network, 200 hours of Spanish-language coverage onESPN Deportes, and streaming onWatchESPN. ESPN broadcast from studios atCorus Quay, which was linked to the IBC (and in turn, ESPN's headquarters inBristol, Connecticut). ESPN and ESPN Deportes used their own hosts, as well of those of CBC, as part of its multi-platform coverage.[37][38]
Rede Record acquired rights in Brazil, paying a recordUS$30 million.[39][40] Other broadcasting deals includeTorneos y Competencias sports in Argentina,Claro Sports in Mexico andLatina Televisión in Peru.[41]
Mediapro served as host broadcaster for the2019 Pan American Games fromLima, Peru. The Lima Convention Centre hosted the International Broadcast Centre (IBC).[42] Panam Sports also launched thePanam Sports Channel on its website, which featured supplemental video content from the Games hosted by local personality Alexandra Hörler.[43]
In February 2022,Mediapro reached an agreement to serve as host broadcaster ofSantiago 2023; for the first time, every event held across the Pan-American andParapan American Games will be televised, nearly doubling the hours of coverage that will be available to rightsholders in comparison to 2019.[44] In September 2022, the country's public broadcasterTelevisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) reached an agreement to serve as the domestic broadcaster of the Games.[45] In early-2023, the commercial networksCanal 13 andChilevisión also acquired rights to the Games.[46][47]
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